Lionel Messi’s magic remains untarnished by time as he wins a third FIFA top honour at 36.
October 16, 2004. The date is etched in the football annals. A much-hyped 17-year-old Argentine forward Lionel Messi played his first game in La Liga as he came on as a substitute eight minutes from time. Who would have thought that almost two decades later he would still be talked about in the same vein?! Yes, Messi continues to be relevant. On Monday, the 36-year-old won men’s player of the year at the FIFA Best Awards for December 19, 2022-August 20, 2023.
Messi is well and truly the last man standing. He has left all the competition behind. Only a few years ago, many took his and Cristiano Ronaldo’s name in the same breath. Not anymore! While the 38-year-old Ronaldo has been kind of languishing – having his high standards in mind – in the Saudi Pro League playing for Al Nassr, Messi continues to make massive strides in the world of football. The latest award proves that.
There was a time when Ronaldo appeared to have the upper hand in the rivalry. In terms of their club performances, both were going great guns, more or less. Ronaldo was playing for Real Madrid; Messi for Barcelona. Two biggest teams in the history of La Liga. Then in 2016, Portugal won the Euro under Ronaldo and that triumph gave him a massive edge in the Messi-Ronaldo debate.
One can expect easy games in the World Cup but not in the Euro. It’s another thing that the football World Cup attracts the global audience like none does in the sports world so remains the most-awaited competition. So Argentina’s 2022 World Cup win under Messi tilted the debate back to a great degree in his favour.
Despite tasting the ultimate success with Argentina, Messi has not waned. Ronaldo, on the other hand, has been through hell. Believe it or not, he has been booed in the Saudi Pro League quite a few times since joining them last year. If truth be told, on the football field he sometimes looks like the flame that is about to die out.
Messi, meanwhile, last year in July joined Inter Miami in Major League Soccer (MLS) after helping Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title earlier with nine goals. For the American side, he scored 10 goals in seven games as Inter Miami won the inaugural Leagues Cup.(HT)